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Topic: How Common Are Infected Batches? (Read 3745 times)

Another thread got me thinking about how many batches of beer actually get infected. I've been brewing over 10 years and never had one. Over the years I have heard horror stories of huge lapses in sanitation that didn't result in infections. Early on somebody pointed out to me that we sanitize our equipment, rather than sterilize it.

Another piece of advice that I really like is that the farther along in the process you are, the less important sanitation becomes (highest priority to making starters or yeast slants and lowest priority to bottling or kegging). I have even heard that some homebrewers don't even sanitize their bottles as long as they are clean. I'm not that brave and don't mind going through the extra effort to give myself some peace of mind, but it is reassuring to know that my efforts may be above and beyond what is necessary.

How about you? How long have you been brewing and how many infected batches have you had? Any batches that you thought should have been infected, but weren't?

I've had a couple get contaminated with something nasty, but invariably it is because of neglect. My most recent one was a 2.8% ABV Scottish that sat in the fridge for months and the airlocks dried out - shocker, it got moldy. And even then it took a long time at that low of a ABV.

I've never had one go bad when I followed any kind of reasonable sanitation practices, especially when it was a stronger beer.

Wow - 2.8%? Do you remember the OG and FG for that beer? I've been getting into low ABV brewing lately, but I tend to get better efficiency than I plan for. I know that I can dilute to my target, but I never end up doing it.

So far the infection rate is really low. I'm almost tempted to throw caution to the wind and brew a "keep things clean, but no sanitizer" beer. Might be a fun experiment.

As long as you're drinking it quickly, don't worry about the ABV. Just think about how beer used to be made, way back in the days before Pasteur and Hansen. Way back. They had no starsan, no PBW. Make a beer, drink it. If you want to talk really primitive, a 3 day fermentation and then drink what you've got. It would make for a fun party I think.

I've often thought every batch may have some level of contamination. The question is whether it becomes perceivable at any point before the entire batch is consumed. I've had beers like Barleywines go years and never exhibit contamination flaws, but I still wonder if there isn't some level of bacteria or wild yeast present.

As contamination rendering an undrinkable beer, I've had it happen twice. Both times it was acetaldehyde and was due to contamination from some undiscovered source. Once it presented very early and the other time it grew over time.

I've often thought every batch may have some level of contamination. The question is whether it becomes perceivable at any point before the entire batch is consumed.

I have to think every batch has some level contamination, none of us work in sterile labs thus theres always going to be a `bug or two that finds its way into the process. But that said most batchs can & do last for extended times without showing signs of a nasty infection.

Been brewing for over 15 years and I have had an occasional infection - most commonly this time of the year from fruit flies getting into buckets. I've heard of really crazy things happening, like people dropping tools or aquarium pumps into their wort and turn out drinkable beer. But nothing that crazy has ever happened to me.

I did pick up a "super bug" once on a third or 4th pitch of WLP007 that was able to ferment beers incredibly dry in only a couple weeks. It was pretty impressive, took a 1.065 IPA down to around 1.002 very shortly.

I think we can be sure that most beer was crap in the good old days. Don't believe it, try brewing without a thermometer, sanitizer, yeast, electricity/propane and stainless steel. Get your water from the nearest creek, river, pond or lake. It would probably be a good idea to pee in the water to replicate the good old days lack of sewage treatment. If there were sewers, somebody else's untreated "discharge" was probably just far enough upstream to not see "floaters."

People will eat, drink, smoke, and inject anything to kill a few brain cells.

I think we can be sure that most beer was crap in the good old days. Don't believe it, try brewing without a thermometer, sanitizer, yeast, electricity/propane and stainless steel. Get your water from the nearest creek, river, pond or lake. It would probably be a good idea to pee in the water to replicate the good old days lack of sewage treatment. If there were sewers, somebody else's untreated "discharge" was probably just far enough upstream to not see "floaters."

People will eat, drink, smoke, and inject anything to kill a few brain cells.

I don't think so. How long would a local brewpub last if it made an undrinkable product? Think of the ancient brewers/brewsters as local brewpubs who learned their craft from generations of experimentation. After a while you've got to hit on the right formula.

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Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)Homebrewing since 1990AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member BJCP judge since 1995